They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Athos has good intentions, but not even the fulfillment of a lifelong dream can keep him from the bottle.

In the filthy, overcrowded city of Paris, a miasma of sickness spreads its tendrils down every alley and into every home. The Musketeer garrison is detailed to the gruesome work of collecting the bodies piling up in streets and houses. Inevitably, the Inseparables must fall as well. For one who hears the siren call of oblivion, this could be the honorable farewell.

This is a repost of a story originally posted at ID 2941562 iiiieyes. A H/C missing scene to Episode 8 - The Challenge. All is not as it seems when d'Artagnan leaves the field of battle, though by morning he's recovered enough to go about his errand to the Bonacieux's. Set (mostly) between handshake with Athos and meeting with Milady.

An it-could-have-happened-this-way segue into Episode Ten - Musketeers Don't Die Easily, with apologies to anyone who actually knows how to write a fencing match. And for Debbie, who said, "I'd love to see this continued..." as regards a conversation between Athos and d'Artagnan about Milady. The H/C in this one is emotional rather than physical.